Bara is inspired by the carved, incised metal types of the Dutch Golden Age. It is not a historical revival, but a loose interpretation of a typeface found in The steadfast tin soldier by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen, Haarlem published by Spectatorpers in 1992, hand-set by Bram de Does in so-called Schefferletter, also known as Enschedé English-bodied Roman No.6. The origins of this historical typeface are unclear, probably dating to early 16th century.
Narrow and elegant, it defines a new all-purpose text family while preserving some particularities of the original metal type. At text sizes, Bara gives text a pleasant, slightly darker texture; at larger sizes, it draws attention to its warm, unorthodox details, such as the abruptly ended strokes of ‘e’ or the ‘c’.